EASY RECIPE // WINTER KIDS MEAL

Dinner time in the house is my favourite time. We all called it “family dinner” simply because this is the only moment where ALL of the family members are able to gather on a table to enjoy the meal after a busy day of individual routines. Perfect time to engage and interact to one another. Sounds perfect aye! (to me at least)

Until I realised, that this toddler is sitting on the same table at the same time with us. Well, that is another story, isn’t it? Often times dinner would be the most unpleasant time of the day. mayday, mayday, mayday….My body was drained out after full day of babysitting/working, cooking dinner and now grumpy toddler is refusing to open his mouth because the plate looks “greeny”. I mean….Seriously?! It is because I have no blue/red clean plate at the time little fella, so just bare with me and pick that god damn beef sausage, and put it in your mouth. Gah.

Then I got a revelation somehow one day, that I gotta prepare meal which comforts their “eyes” and their “tummy”

Comforts their eyes – basically, what they see is what they get. If the presentation itself does not satisfy their sight, the wrong information will directly send to the brain commanding them to lock their mouth. Once they’re happy with what they see, they would surely open their mouth and give it a go. Be mindful to make their favourite element stands out on the plate. In my case, noodles, soup, chicken, and meatballs are the thing that J loves the most. So, I put extra effort on that piece and make them as visual as it can be. Hiding veggies is always wise to do, add them to your homemade meatballs mixture. It’s a winner for the whole family. Yeahhh!!

Comforts their tummy – Next step is making sure that they consume enough nutritions intake to their tummy for the day. Eating together increase healthy eating habits and provides a model for children to carry with them into adulthood. Studies show family dinners increase the intake of fruits and vegetables; families who eat dinner together tend to eat fewer fried foods and drink less soda; and family meal frequency is linked to the intake of protein, calcium, and some vitamins. I am struggling to get my protein son to consume veggies, but after I implement this new family dinner rule for a while, I am glad to report you that he slowly improving his tolerance for veggies. And for this colder season, I am using a lot of in-season produce too, like carrots, orange, citrus, lemon, garlic, ginger (they are powerful to boost your immune system).

Spend less timeon the kitchen – please do not spend too much energy and time on the kitchen (unless for special occasion). 30-45 minutes max would be the ideal time from preparation to presentation. Spend more time to sit down and have a nice conversation with one another. Here are some killer recipes you can do under 30minutes. They are super delicious healthy on low budget.

Ginger Beef Soup With Rice Noodles and Mixed Veggies

Meatballs

250 gr chicken or veal mince

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp grated garlic

1 cup of chopped shallots

Soup

4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock

3 cups of mixed veggies (carrots, baby bok choy, white cabbage)

90g rice noodles

½ cup of enoki mushroom

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

salt & pepper to taste

How to make:

To make meatballs, mix all the ingredients to food processor, blend it well.

Divide into 12 even portions. Squish and roll in your hands into a tight ball (grease your hands for easier process). Set aside for a minute at room temperature is fine.

Place homemade chicken stock and veggies in a large saucepan and bring into boil over high heat.

Gently pop in the meatballs. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for further 8 minutes.

MEET KENNY ANDRISIA

Kenny Andrisia is a wife and full-time mom of a 2-year-old boy currently lives in Sydney, Australia. Inspired by all the beauties she was able to perceive in the midst of the daily chaos she encountered, she decided to start the journey of her own motherhood blog. Mama On Repeat - created after her son's who has been calling her "mama mama mama..." instead of her own name every single second of her day. That was like pain in the ears at first but now by the grace of God, she was able to acknowledge this "calling" as a pure joy; knowing that someone's life is depends on her and she has a responsibility to meet others needs. This blog is all about good and positive vibes. So welcome on board. X

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